Damian Thompson on Lambeth
Along the same lines as my ‘four Anglicanisms’: Anglo-Catholicism is finished (its surviving remnant in England logically should go over to Rome with Andrew Burnham) so worldwide that would leave one with a few rich liberals, the Episcopalians (Broad Church); many poor conservatives, the Africans (Evangelical); and a rump of people loyal to Rowan Williams (modern Central Church) as three separate denominations. Makes sense. Considering the strong Evangelical party in the C of E with the Bishop of Rochester as a possible leader this could split that church bringing up the question of disestablishment.

“The official line is still that by the end of the week delegates are expected to reach consensus on tricky issues such as homosexuality” — are these same officials going to be doing a comedy turn at the Edinburgh Fringe?

Which of these three Anglican communions would the RC bishops’ conference of England and Wales continue cosying up to? Perhaps with the woolly centrist Rowan-led faction? Oh, what a surprise!

Unless Pope Benedict does some Augean-like house-cleaning as part of bringing the Anglo-Catholics in and putting one Tridentine Mass in every RC parish, yes.

More.

There are still orthodox Christians within the C of E.

But Catholics are ecclesial beings under a bishop — not just any man or woman claiming to be a bishop, as a landlord and/or ordaining machine, but a Catholic bishop in communion with the rest of the world’s Catholic bishops — not ritualist congregationalists or Christian Lone Rangers like Protestants.

(Of course this argument works for the Orthodox as well as Rome.)